Question

How many significant figures does the number 0.0078 have?

(a) 1.(b) 2.(c) 3.(d) 4.

Short answer

The given number has two significant figures.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1. Significant figures

The given number is $0.0078$.

The rules for determining the significant figures are as follows:

• All non-zero numerical values are significant.
• All the leading zeroes are not significant.
• A zero lying between two non-zero digits is significant.

Step 2. Decimal places of significant figures

There are four decimal places in the representation $0.0078$. And in the scientific notation, $7.8\times {10}^{-3}$, there are two significant figures.

Thus, option (b) is the correct answer.